| Freshwater aquariums can be considered as twice | | | | exposure to solutions with sub-lethal pH levels can |
| as sensitive compared to the natural habitat they | | | | also trigger the increasing of production of |
| are trying to simulate. For example, the lighting, | | | | mucous of fishes. This can lead to epithelial |
| the substrate, and even the plants can affect the | | | | hyperplasia or the thickening of the gills and skin |
| fishes living inside it if not patterned from that of | | | | epithelia which can then cause some fatal results |
| an original freshwater environment. One very | | | | for the fishes. Besides from these direct effects |
| important feature that should be strictly | | | | of pH among fishes, pH levels also have some |
| considered is the Freshwater aquarium pH perfect | | | | indirect consequences. One of these is that small |
| for the simulated tanks. Generally, pH is the | | | | variations in pH can already affect the toxicity of |
| defining factor for the basic or acidic level of the | | | | a number of dissolved compounds in the solution. |
| aquarium's water. It also describes the amount of | | | | For example, a solution with increased pH can |
| dissolved ions of hydroxide and hydrogen | | | | make ammonia more toxic for the fishes. |
| dissolved in the solution that can perfectly support | | | | Even very small fluctuations in Freshwater |
| the lives of the marine animals in the tank. | | | | aquarium pH can already be very harmful and |
| Greater amounts of hydrogen ions mean that the | | | | stressful for the health of fishes. Even the |
| water is acidic and has low pH. Water with equal | | | | nitrifying bacterium which is very important in the |
| concentrations of hydrogen and hydroxide ions is | | | | alteration of ammonia to nitrate also has a pH |
| defined as neutral with a value of 7 pH. On the | | | | level preference of 7.5 to 8.6. Also, pH levels also |
| other hand, if a solution is more concentrated with | | | | have some effects in the treatments for the |
| hydrogen ions then it will have a pH of 7 or below | | | | diseases of fishes as in the cases of chloramine-T |
| and is considered as acidic. | | | | which can be turned more toxic with low pH and |
| For freshwater tanks, the recommended pH | | | | potassium permanganate which can be turned |
| should play between the ranges of 5.5 to 7.5 | | | | toxic with high levels of it. One of the considered |
| because this is the level that most freshwater | | | | best methods in avoiding the constant changing of |
| fishes can tolerate. Determining the Freshwater | | | | pH is simply choosing fishes whose system are |
| aquarium pH is very important because even just | | | | already compatible with the concentration of the |
| a small variation in the pH level can already cause | | | | water. On the other hand, those who don't want |
| stress or even death on fishes. Other effects | | | | their choices to be limited can try some simple |
| that improper pH levels can impose on fishes are | | | | methods in altering the pH levels of their tanks by |
| problems with their breathing abilities, and damage | | | | adding bogwood to their aquarium, rocks with |
| to skin, eyes, and gills if the solution has high | | | | limestone, using coral or sand substrates, or |
| levels of acidity or alkalinity. Moreover, protracted | | | | injecting carbon dioxide into their solutions. |